ALCUDIA AND SANTA MARGALIDA
THE Local Police of Alcudia yesterday presented a donation of 875 euros to the Vicente Ferrer Foundation, to help the tsunami victims. The money was donated by members of the police force. In Santa Margalida, the council, in collaboration with the Majorcan Solidarity Fund, has organised an aid campaign, which includes collecting basic articles such as blankets, tinned food and medicines. It has also opened an account for donations, Sa Nostra 2051-0263-67-1049390880. Similar fund-raising efforts are being made all over the island.

Antennae protest

VILAFRANCA
Photo: J M Sastre
NEIGHBOURS have organised a series of protests against two mobile phone antennae on the roof of a two-storey building in the centre of the town. They want them dismantled immediately. Several cases of cancer have been detected in the neighbourhood of the antennae in Calle Pare Jaume Rosselló, and this has caused considerable social alarm. The neighbours are now collecting signatures to have them removed. More than 300 signatures have been collected in just over two weeks (Vilafranca has a population of 2'500). The town council seems to share their opinion. Mayor Jaume Sansó said that the council was planning to introduce a bylaw which would require all these antennae to be installed in one place, to be chosen by the council, outside the town centre. Neither of the antennae in Calle Pare Jaume Rosselló, which belong to two different companies, has the corresponding council permit, and one of the two firms involved recently paid a 7'900 euro fine. The neighbours claim that there is a direct link between the antennae and the increase in cases of cancer.

Expensive service

SANTANYI
CALA d'Or and Porto Petro have the highest charges for the rubbish collection service in the municipality of Santanyi. Charges are also high in other coastal areas such as Sa Barca Trencada and Sa Font de n'Alis. According to the opposition, a cafeteria of up to 100 square metres in one of the resort areas has to pay 503 euros for the service, compared to 458 euros for a similar establishment in Santanyi itself. When it comes to clubs, the difference is even more notorious: a club in Cala d'Or has to pay 564 euros, while one in another part of the municipality only has to pay 369 euros for the same service.

Book subsidy

MURO
THE town council has approved a subsidy for the purchase of school books for local families. A fund of 36'000 euros will be made available and each schoolchild will be able to claim aid of up to 60.20 euros. The proposal was made by the opposition and approved by all the parties. Another opposition proposal which was approved was financial aid for families with children at nurseries. Each family will receive 117 euros, and total aid will come to 6'000 euros.

New day centre

BINISSALEM
THE new day centre of Binissalem will be up and running in the first six months of this year, according to the town council. It will be installed in the former Bar Salem, which will be adapted to its new use. Work started last month and should be completed within three months. Improvements include new flooring and redistributing the space available. Magdalena Rosselló, the councillor in charge of the centre, said that there will be two bathrooms specially adapted for geriatrics, a rest room with three beds, a lounge, dining room, kitchen, laundry and an office. There will be a physiotherapist or occupational therapist on hand to help users, as well as a nurse and three social workers. Rosselló said that the centre would be open to people over 65 who have limited autonomy. The cases of over 65s who cannot look after themselves will also be considered.